Many of the hardships involved in international travel, including crowded airports, cramped seating, and tightly-packed schedules, are common to all long-distance trips. The international traveler, however, faces the additional challenge of a language barrier. Not being able to speak or understand the local language makes even the most basic activities, such as ordering food, awkward if not impossible. The ideal solution, which is to hire a local interpreter, is cost prohibitive for most people.
Technology-based solutions have been on the market for some time. One of the most common tools is an electronic dictionary. The more advanced models receive typed or spoken phrases in the user's language, translate the phrases into a second language, and display the translated phrases onto a screen or play them through an audio speaker. When traveling to multiple countries in one trip, the user needs to change the settings on the dictionary so that it uses the correct target language.
Smartphones can now perform the tasks previously performed by standalone electronic dictionaries. Launching a smartphone app in a timely manner can sometimes be difficult, though. The user needs to pull out the device, set the target language, and execute the app.